A new Mailing List infrastructure at CERN Ruben Gaspar Aparicio Michel Christaller & Ruben Leivas Ledo IT - Internet Services Group CERN.

A new Mailing List A new Mailing List infrastructure at CERNinfrastructure at CERN

Ruben Gaspar AparicioRuben Gaspar Aparicio

Michel Christaller & Ruben Leivas LedoMichel Christaller & Ruben Leivas LedoIT - Internet Services Group IT - Internet Services Group CERNCERN

HEPIX – October 2004HEPIX – October 2004

CERN Mail Service

ScheduleSchedule

What is Listbox?What is Listbox? A bit of historyA bit of history New service architecture and New service architecture and

designdesign Externals & External ListsExternals & External Lists ConclusionsConclusions

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CERN Mail Service

What is ListboxWhat is Listbox

Listbox is the Mailing list service at CERNListbox is the Mailing list service at CERN– It includes the Mailing list editor (It includes the Mailing list editor (

http://simba.cern.chhttp://simba.cern.ch) and the mailing list archive ) and the mailing list archive web siteweb site

NumbersNumbers– 3,300 lists3,300 lists– Active lists: 350 per day, 800 per weekActive lists: 350 per day, 800 per week– 8 Gb of web archives, 8 Gb of web archives, with access controlwith access control– 60 users per list (avg), up to 6,000 users per list 60 users per list (avg), up to 6,000 users per list

(max)(max)– 15,000 CERN users15,000 CERN users– 35,000 addresses-without-CERN-account35,000 addresses-without-CERN-account– 1,500 list owners1,500 list owners– Traffic: 2,000 (in) / 45,000 (out) messages Traffic: 2,000 (in) / 45,000 (out) messages

distributed in 24 hours (avg)distributed in 24 hours (avg)

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CERN Mail Service

List propertiesList properties

Name of the list (email address)Name of the list (email address) OwnersOwners MembersMembers DescriptionDescription Subscription and unsubscription policiesSubscription and unsubscription policies Posting restrictions Posting restrictions Moderation Moderation Message size limitMessage size limit An Archive may exist  + authorization settingsAn Archive may exist  + authorization settings Delivery policy Delivery policy AliasAlias

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CERN Mail Service

Listbox4.cern.chSUN computer

Old ServiceOld Service

SMTPGateways

Simba (ApacheWeb interface)

MajordomoSendmail

Mhonarc(Web archive)

List definitions(file system)

AFSFile System

HRPeople

database

LDAP

CCDBAccounts database

Externalinternet

MailboxStores

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CERN Mail Service

Motivations for Motivations for renewalrenewal

10 years of home grown software10 years of home grown software High maintenance costHigh maintenance cost

– Dedicated team and special skills necessaryDedicated team and special skills necessary– Single computer, non scalable architectureSingle computer, non scalable architecture

Service sometimes overloaded, delivery delaysService sometimes overloaded, delivery delays– Flat file database, AFS and LDAP dependenciesFlat file database, AFS and LDAP dependencies

Difficult “mirroring” of flat files for majordomo and Difficult “mirroring” of flat files for majordomo and ldap repository for SIMBAldap repository for SIMBA

– Archiving problemsArchiving problems– Little monitoring and alarms (requires human Little monitoring and alarms (requires human

monitoring)monitoring) Missing functionalitiesMissing functionalities

– anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-flood, expiration, invalid anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-flood, expiration, invalid recipients removal, web archive management by recipients removal, web archive management by owner, …owner, …

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CERN Mail Service

Exchange Infrastructure

New ServiceNew Service

External Lists

HRPeople

database

CCDBAccounts database

List definitions(Active Directory)

Mail Distribution

Public Folders(Web archive)

Simba (ASP.NETWeb interface)

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CERN Mail Service

New Listbox New Listbox infrastructureinfrastructure

Infrastructure shared with Mail ServiceInfrastructure shared with Mail Service All machines Windows 2000/2003, Exchange 2000/2003, Dual Xeon All machines Windows 2000/2003, Exchange 2000/2003, Dual Xeon

2.0Ghz, Hyperthreading on, 1 Gbit/s network card2.0Ghz, Hyperthreading on, 1 Gbit/s network card Public foldersPublic folders

– 2x 4U servers, 4GB memory. Mainly List’s Archives2x 4U servers, 4GB memory. Mainly List’s Archives– Databases are replicatedDatabases are replicated

Front End ServersFront End Servers– 4x 2U servers, 2GB memory. IMAP, POP, MAPI over HTTP and HTTP 4x 2U servers, 2GB memory. IMAP, POP, MAPI over HTTP and HTTP

(webmail) gateway (webmail) gateway Store ServersStore Servers

– 12x 4U servers, 3-4GB memory, 2 SRCU32 Intel RAID controllers with 12x 4U servers, 3-4GB memory, 2 SRCU32 Intel RAID controllers with each 1xRAID1 (2x70GB/SCSI), 1xRAID5 (3x120GB/SCSI). each 1xRAID1 (2x70GB/SCSI), 1xRAID5 (3x120GB/SCSI).

SMTP GatewaysSMTP Gateways– 6x6x 2U servers, 2GB memory. Windows Load Balancing, Symantec 2U servers, 2GB memory. Windows Load Balancing, Symantec

Antivirus for Exchange and CERN made C# Protocol Event SinkAntivirus for Exchange and CERN made C# Protocol Event Sink Spam Content filtering servers (CERN SpamKiller)Spam Content filtering servers (CERN SpamKiller)

– 4x 2U servers, 2GB memory. 4x 2U servers, 2GB memory.

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CERN Mail Service

New Listbox designNew Listbox design

User Objects User Objects (CERN accounts or Externals)(CERN accounts or Externals)

Global security groups Global security groups – OwnersOwners– MembersMembers

List ~ Public Folder with email @List ~ Public Folder with email @– Message sent to the PFMessage sent to the PF

Restriction on who can send messagesRestriction on who can send messages Restriction on message size Restriction on message size Forwards to the group of members, possible delivery in the Forwards to the group of members, possible delivery in the

folderfolder– Web archive through OWAWeb archive through OWA– Archive PermissionsArchive Permissions

Owners Owners EditorEditor Members Members Non Editing AuthorsNon Editing Authors Owners can have more freedom for Owners can have more freedom for managingmanaging the archive. the archive.

– delete and modify possibledelete and modify possible

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Archive access from Archive access from OutlookOutlook

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From users perspectiveFrom users perspective

Almost the same interface for Almost the same interface for managing listsmanaging lists

No change in email addressesNo change in email addresses Almost the same functionalitiesAlmost the same functionalities What was changed :What was changed :

– Bounced mail goes to sender instead Bounced mail goes to sender instead of ownersof owners

– No more Majordomo mail commandsNo more Majordomo mail commandsEvery subscription must be authenticatedEvery subscription must be authenticated

– No more AFS archives / AFS listsNo more AFS archives / AFS listsWEBDAV access / External lists web serviceWEBDAV access / External lists web service

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CERN Mail Service

CERN External AccountsCERN External Accounts

People without a CERN mail account can People without a CERN mail account can register into Listboxregister into Listbox

Implemented as special user accounts with a Implemented as special user accounts with a mail addressmail address

Access restricted to Access restricted to – SIMBA interfaceSIMBA interface– Web archives (OWA)Web archives (OWA)

With a group policy which denies access from the With a group policy which denies access from the network / logon locally on all CERN computers but a network / logon locally on all CERN computers but a few serversfew servers

Logon with the mail address Logon with the mail address (userPrincipalName property)(userPrincipalName property)

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CERN External CERN External AccountsAccounts

Account is created Account is created disableddisabled when address is when address is inserted in a listinserted in a list

Account must be validated with a mail responseAccount must be validated with a mail response Unused accounts are reclaimedUnused accounts are reclaimed

– MemberOf propertyMemberOf property– altrecipientBLaltrecipientBL

Web interface to manage account properties Web interface to manage account properties (validation, password.. ) (validation, password.. ) http://cern.ch/externalswebhttp://cern.ch/externalsweb

External Accounts can be reused by other CERN External Accounts can be reused by other CERN Services Services

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External’s notificationExternal’s notification

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CERN Mail Service

External ListsExternal Lists

Replaces AFS listsReplaces AFS lists Membership is provided through Membership is provided through

a web service as a filea web service as a file Email addresses are extracted Email addresses are extracted

and matched to user objectsand matched to user objects Web interface shows the Web interface shows the

original file content (retains original file content (retains comments)comments)

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DEMODEMOhttp://simba.cern.ch/http://simba.cern.ch/

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Simba web siteSimba web site

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Owners ViewOwners View

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CERN Mail Service

Members ViewMembers View

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CERN Mail Service

Web archiveWeb archive

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CERN Mail Service

ConclusionConclusion

New Listbox integrated with new Mail infrastructure deployed New Listbox integrated with new Mail infrastructure deployed at CERN last yearat CERN last year

Benefits fromBenefits from– Infrastructure redundancyInfrastructure redundancy– Antivirus Antivirus – SPAM fightSPAM fight– Flood controlFlood control– Integrated Web archiveIntegrated Web archive– Integrated repository : Active DirectoryIntegrated repository : Active Directory

Smooth migration undergoingSmooth migration undergoing– New interface in production (combines search on the old-new New interface in production (combines search on the old-new

system)system)– 450 lists already in the new system450 lists already in the new system– shorter time in delivery for list in the new systemshorter time in delivery for list in the new system

Owners will have more functionality (manage archives, Owners will have more functionality (manage archives, add/delete in bulk)add/delete in bulk)

Less SPAM hassle for owners (bounces, subscription)Less SPAM hassle for owners (bounces, subscription)

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CERN Mail Service

QuestionsQuestions